The Christmas Present By James Michener It was the turn of the century and I was a mere boy of 10. During the summers, I cut the ...

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

LOCKED OUT OF THE HOUSE AND THE FIREMEN CAME

It was a Friday
evening in May and the finale of Dallas was coming on. Like everyone else in
the world at that time, I just had to see what J. R. would do. My then-husband
was out of town and I had taken my older son to work at Kroger’s: He was a
cashier. I said it to him: “You have the house key right?” “Yeah” he replied in
a hurry.” Then I rushed home, picked up my younger son and four of his friends
and dropped them off at the downtown Cinema 7. Kept looking at my watch: It was
7:00 and I knew I had time to go back to Kroger’s and get a ton of groceries.
The house was empty of food. Anyone who has had two sons knows all about that!

Something told me not
to buy a month’s worth of groceries. Maybe it was the impending doom that would
come down on me but whatever, I’m glad that I only got about five bags of food.
Rushed home, searched in my pocketbook and found no house key! It was getting
dark so I headed back to Kroger’s and had to get the manager to get my son off
of the cash register. “Where’s the house key?” I asked him frantically. “I
don’t have it. Kevin does.” Kevin, my younger son, was at the movies.

I ran to my car and
head uptown to Cinema 7 and parked in front. Knew full well that my son and his
friends were inside but ah the cell phone wasn’t invented yet. I asked at least
three people to go to the manager and page Kevin. Sat outside hysterical. No
one came back to tell me a thing. I couldn’t park right there and the parking
building was too scary [even then] so I rushed home. Went to a neighbor’s house
and called a man whom I knew—you’d know the name if I were to write it—and he
sent the police to my house. It was now dark and I met the police and they used
my credit cards and who knows what else but couldn’t get in the house! The
frozen groceries were melting and so was I. By now I was in a major panic mode.
The police called the fire department and it wasn’t long till a huge fire truck
came roaring up my hill and stopped by the side of my house. My neighbor’s
boyfriend had come over in the meantime with a six foot ladder [like that’d
help with a two story house] and he had a drink in his hand. He was no help at
all and he was bombed.

I explained the
situation to the two firemen and I have to say that I was still dressed from
teaching school: I had on a dress and high heels. The minute one of the firemen
put the huge ladder up the back of the house by my younger son’s bedroom
window, my dog started barking and growling.
“We think you should climb the ladder” said one fireman. “Oh great” I thought. Had to take off my
heels and climb that metal ladder while those two firemen held it steady. Each
rung killed my feet. When I got to the top, one of them shoved me through the
double window and I slid over the metal frame and wound up on a big table in my
son’s room. I was hysterical by now.

The two firemen
removed the ladder and came around to the front of my house to be sure I was
all right. Was I? No way! And I still had to go out and retrieve the soggy
groceries. Did that and looked at the clock and it was 11:00! I had missed Dallas
and even worse, where was the house key? Meandering around the house in a panic
mode, I had to find that key because I had to pick up both sons and those
friends as well. And what would I see on the kitchen table? The blasted house
key. And one son said he had it. Oh sure, not.

I crammed what
groceries I could that had to go in the fridge and set off to get my sons. The
whole thing was like some nightmare. Had missed the show, had to climb through
a metal window and even worse was that I had on a dress. Mortififed. I’m sure
that I passed out after all this going on. I was thankful that my friend had
called the police even if they couldn’t get in the house but more thankful that
the firemen helped me get inside.

This all happened on
a Friday night—one I never forgot ever. The next week was the patrol trip for
the sixth graders at my school and since I was the acting principal, I called
as I always did at that time and asked if the fire department would send the
same two firemen as they had done the year before. “No problem” said the voice
on the other end. Well the fire truck came to Robins all right and so did the
two firemen: I now knew them well for it was the very same two who were at my
house. Feeling stupid, embarrassed and not sure what to say or do, I just said
“Boys and girls, the firemen are here to show you their truck and tell what
they have to do.” I was never so glad when that day was over! What are the
chances of the same two firemen being at my house and then at my school where I
taught? A million to one that’s what it is. Oh and rest assured that I rushed
out and got four copies of the house key made too. One key just didn’t get it
as you now know.

About Me

I was an elementary teacher for 35 years but before and during teaching, I worked for 7 summers as a typist for the Dept.of Transportation. Have always written and painted in what seems like forever. I have a BS degree in Education and English and a masters degree in communication. Was a volunteer for Goodwill for 14 years during which time I served on the board of directors for 8 years. Writing and painting have been a part of my life since I was four; it is not something that I see as being audacious but more of something that is inside of me that has to surface. And I believe that everyone has a creative gene be it connected to music,acting, photography, design,advertising or any avenue that calls for creativity. It is what makes us unique. The Charleston Gazette has been so gracious in publishing many of my stories;some have been in the Charleston Daily Mail as well. And a friend of mine let me use his lobby for my first art show a year and a half ago. Dreams do come true. I have been published in The Charleston Gazette, The Daily Mail and http://usads.ms11.net/sherry2.html. Of late, I've self-published 11 Amazon Kindle E books. Be sure to check them out and thank you.